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Oct 20, 2014 | 01:22

Anti-Islamic State fighters claim control of Kobani neighborhood

Turkey has offered to help Kurds enter the fight for Kobani, parts of which have apparently been re-taken from Islamic State militants, while the U.S. has air-dropped arms for the first time to help the city's defenders. Mana Rabiee reports.

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REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY SOME OF THE VIDEO CONTENT IN THIS STORY WHICH WAS OBTAINED FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE
After weeks of intense fighting, this Kobani neighborhood is now eerily quiet.
The mostly Kurdish Syrian border town, near the Turkish frontier, has been besieged by Islamic State fighters, and only intense U.S.-led airstrikes have stopped their advance.
This video, posted to a socia media site, claims to show fighters from the Shams al-Shamal Brigade patrolling the Al-Sina'a district in the east of the city.
Fighting alongside Syrian Kurdish rebels, the Brigade says it has retaken control of at least one area of this strategic town.
SOUNDBITE: SAID TO BE FIGHTER OF SHAMS AL-SHAMAL BRIGADE IN BUILDING OVERLOOKING OTHER DAMAGED BUILDINGS SAYING:
"Praise to God. Al-Sina'a neighborhood was liberated by the heroes of Shams al-Shamal brigades. With God's willing, you will be surprised with what we will achieve in the future."
Neighboring Turkey has so far refused to help Kurdish militias fight Islamic State on the ground in Syria, saying there needs to be a broader agreement first to fight Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
But now Ankara says it's helping Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters gain passage into Kobani to help fellow Kurds defend their town.
The news comes as the United States, for the first time, air-dropped arms to help the fighters resist the assault on Kobani by Islamic State.

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